Clean Tone

Black Dog

Led Zeppelin

Bassrock1970s

Original Gear

BassFender Jazz Bass (early 1960s, likely 1962-1965)

AmpAcoustic 360 bass amp with 361 cabinet

PickupsTwo single-coil pickups (Jazz Bass configuration)

Amp Settings

gain0

bass6

mid6

treble5

presence4.5

compression3

Effects & Signal Chain

No effects used for this tone

Notes

Studio recording, 1971, Led Zeppelin IV sessions. John Paul Jones used his main Jazz Bass and Acoustic 360 amp for most of the album. No evidence of DI-only or direct console for bass; amp-mic'd is most likely.

Tone Character(10)

clear and punchyarticulate midrangetight low endslight upper-mid growlpercussive pick attacknatural amp compressionpresent but not harsh trebleclassic 1970s rock bassno audible effectsfocused and defined

Difficulty

The bass part requires tight, syncopated picking and precise muting to match the song's complex rhythmic structure. While not virtuosic, it demands solid timing and pick technique.

Sources

Gear Rundown: John Paul Jones JPJ's Black Dog tone. - TalkBass.com John Paul Jones: what people get wrong about Black Dog | Guitar World John-Paul Jones Gear Deep Dive | Led Zeppelin & the Fender Jazz Bass | BassBros

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